Braving the Shadows: Women's Resilience in Iran's Evin Prison

Women incarcerated in Iran's notorious Evin prison share harrowing accounts of survival amid torture, defiance, and a fierce commitment to activism for their rights, highlighting their resilience and unyielding hope.

Crouched alone on the cold floor of a tiny, windowless cell, Nasim could hear the distant sounds of other prisoners being tortured. The guards would bang on her door, taunting her with threats of being next. This was her grim introduction to Evin prison, where she endured daily interrogations lasting up to 12 hours and faced constant threats of execution. She found herself in a bare cell no larger than two meters across, devoid of both a bed and a toilet, as she entered four months of solitary confinement – all for being a 36-year-old hairdresser who had dared to join the protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman killed after being arrested for not wearing the hijab.

Building on testimony from several reliable sources, we piece together the grim and complex lives of Nasim and her fellow inmates: a group of women caught up in government crackdowns on the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests that erupted in the wake of Amini’s death in September 2022. While many stories of hardship filter out after release, the reality faced by women currently locked away remains largely concealed.

Before her detention in April 2023, Nasim enjoyed rap music and beauty. Now she survives the torment of memory and the pain of loss, having lost a friend in the government's violent crackdown but using that grief to fortify her will to live while undergoing sessions of brutality and intimidation aimed at extracting false confessions.

Next door in a separate cell block resides Rezvaneh, who was arrested alongside her husband during protests. Interrogators threatened to beat him to death, and after enduring solitary confinement, she was transferred to the women’s wing where about 70 political prisoners reside. Life here comprises crowded cells with three-tiered bunk beds, leading to a mix of camaraderie and conflict among inmates.

Despite the oppressive environment, notable stories emerge. The women gather for support amidst their struggles; some even find joy in unexpected moments. For instance, after four months, Rezvaneh learned she was pregnant, a shock that brought both delight and dread. Restrictions made everyday existence difficult – obtaining basic foods in a prison where prices can be exorbitant – but she held on to hope when an ultrasound revealed she was having a girl.

Another inmate, Vida, captured her surroundings through art, using whatever she could find to express herself despite censorship. Her paintings, smuggled out of Evin, depict the spirit of resilience flourishing amid despair. Yet, not all are as fortunate; many fighters for freedom struggle to gain access to adequate medical care. Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been denied critical treatment, yet she and the women are defiant, staging protests within prison walls.

But with the constant threat of renewed interrogations and punishments looming, such expressions of resistance are fraught with danger. Guards oscillate in their treatment of inmates, swinging between kindness and cruelty based on external directives. The Iranian government steadfastly denies any allegations of human rights abuses, claiming compliance with standards of treatment.

As pregnancies unfold and lives evolve behind bars, the struggle marches on. Evin's corridors resonate with chants of protest, while weekly hunger strikes become a common show of solidarity against their oppressive conditions. In an act of rebellion, the women burned their hijabs on the anniversary of Amini’s death, asserting their right to resist, even amid the bars.

With hope and despair intertwined, Rezvaneh gives birth to her daughter and faces an uncertain return to Evin, where mothers can keep their infants for two years before potential separation. Yet the harsh realities are met with inspiring determination; for many women behind those walls, the adversities only strengthen their resolve to fight for freedom, forging a collective spirit that echoes with an unwavering cry for justice and equality in a world that seeks to silence them.